The ruling came from the bench after an hour-long hearing in which lawyers for three Texas residents argued that Cheney had moved to Bush’s home state of Texas when he took a job there in 1993.

The three-judge appellate panel took a short recess after the arguments, then Judge Patrick Higginbotham returned to say without elaboration that the panel was in agreement that Cheney clearly is a Wyoming resident.

Higginbotham was appointed by former President Reagan. The others _ Rhesa H. Barksdale and Jacques L. Wiener Jr. _ were appointed by former President Bush.

The three plaintiffs were prepared to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court if the appeals court sides with a lower court judge, one of their lawyers said before the ruling.

Cheney, a former Wyoming congressman, lived in Dallas while he was chairman of Halliburton Co. until he changed his voting registration to Teton County, Wyo., on July 21 _ four days before becoming Bush’s running mate.